Web dewatering apparatus



Sept. 11, 1962 D. c. cRoNlN ETAL WEB DEWATERING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 14, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Wwf 5721i@ 1% Uli.v S

INVENTORS EDGAR J. Jus'rus DENNIS C. CRONIN KZ B" mfg? AMK ORNE YS Sept. 11, 1962 D. c. CRoNlN ET AL 3,053,319

WEB DEWATERING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 14, 1960 s sheets-sheet 2 GQQQQQQQQUQQQ@ 4Z 46 t 42 l 4.) 4[i/4.5 @@ZQQQQQQQQQQQ FTI-NW INVENTO ED R.J. JusTu DE s c.cRoN|N A TTORNE YS Etates The present invention relates broadly to paper machines and like separating apparatus, and is more particularly concerned with new and improved `means having especial utility in the lubrication of a moving belt traveling in supporting contact with the forming wire and suc* tion box in the Fourdrinier type paper machine.

As is well known, the conventional Fourdrinier type paper machine comprises a looped traveling forming wire presenting a forming reach extending from a breast roll, at which t-he stock is ilowed onto the Wire, to a suction couch roll located approximately at the station at which the `formed web is removed from the wire. Various dewatering devices are mounted lbeneath this reach of the fonming wire, and one common dewatering device is known as a suction box and presents a at perforate top to the bottom side of the wire. The interior of the suction box is exhausted to assist in drawing water from the web through the wire and through the perforations in the flat top of the suction box.

In this same arrangement, in order to reduce wire wear and wear on the suction box covers resulting from the traveling wire being held down against the stationary at top of the suction box by the existing pressure differential, a perforated moving belt with solid edges is installed between the traveling Fourdrinier wire and the suction -box covers.

The suction box covers conventionally take the form of relatively thin plates having a thickness of the order of one-quarter inch and are attached to the suction boxes by welding techniques. This introduces the likelihood of warpage, and since replacement of the covers requires the paper machine to be shut down, a time-consuming welding operation is obviously disadvantageous. Then too, in one highly successful commercial structure the suction box cover is grooved longitudinally to permit the introduction of a lubricating film along the cover to lubricate the under side of the belt in order to reduce belt wear. While the grooves provide highly effective fluid supply passages, necessarily substantial machining time is required.

The instant invention resides in a novel, simple and particularly effective arrangement for overcoming these difliculties. In accordance with the present teachings, the suction box cover is punched or otherwise provided with a plurality of transversely spaced rows of holes or openings longitudinally spaced and extending in the direction of wire travel. The openings are preferably countersunk and receive therein passaged fastening means threaded into longitudinally extending conduit means suitably connected to the suction box wall structure. The suction box cover is thereby threadably connected to the box and can 'be readily installed `and removed. The hole or openings can be merely punched in the cover, resulting in marked reductions in costs. By elimination of welding attachment of the cover to the box, the warpage problem no longer exists, and machine down time during cover changes is held to a minimum.

As will be later hereinafter noted in detail, the conduit means located along the cover under side provide fluid supply means for the introduction of lubricant through the passaged fastening means to the belt under side. The conduits desirably are transversely spaced and longitudinally extending channel members, and iiuid is introduced therein in any one of a number of different ways.

Header means can be provided exteriorly of the suction box at the oncoming and olf-running sides thereof, and such header means may be shaped to guide the traveling perforated belt. On the other hand, the header structure may be located interiorly of the suction box.

It is accordingly au important aim of the present invention to provide an improved paper machine, and more particularly to provide novel means for lubricating the moving belt traveling over a suction box in a Fourdrinier type paper machine.

Another object of this invention lies in the provision of a suction box cover having fluid removal openings therein located for alignment with perforations in a belt traveling over the cover and also having uid supply passages for introducing fluid between the under side of the belt and the top surface of the cover to lubricate the belt during travel thereover, means on the under side of the cover dening a plurality of conduits for supplying fluid to the passages in the cover, apertured means attaching the cover through the fluid supply passages to the conduit means, and means for supplying fluid to the conduits.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a suc-v tion box having a cover threadably attached thereto, the attaching means being passaged to admit lubricating fluid to the under side of the moving belt and eliminating all heretofore existing problems resulting from securement of the cover to the box by welding techniques.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent during the course of the following description, particularly when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the same:

FIGURE 1 is an essentially diagrammatic elevational view of a paper machine embodying one or more suction boxes constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged View of the suction box of FIGUREl;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional fragmentary detail view taken substantially along the line IlL-III of FIG- URE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary detail top plan view of a suction box cover provided in .accordance with this invention;

FIGURES 5, 6, 7 and 8 are fragmentary elevational views of various forms of suction box constructions and further illustrating particular arrangements of header means for supplying fluid to the conduit means on the suction box cover under side; and

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the suction box cover, belt traveling thereover, conduit means on the cover under side, and passaged attachment means for securing the cover to the conduit means.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in FIG- URE 1 a paper machine indicated generally by the reference numeral l0, and comprising a looped forming wire 11 trained over a breast lroll 12, table rolls 13, suction box 14, couch roll 15, a turning -roll 16, and return rolls 17. Stock is deposited on the upper wire run 11a from a head box 18 onto a forming board 18a in the region of the breast roll 12, and the stock is dewatered during its travel on the upper wire run 11a to `form a web W which is Iremoved `from the wire 1-1 by a pick up `felt 19 urged against the web W by a suction pick up roll 2i). A rotary `belt 2l is interposed between the suction box .14 and the wire run lla, and the belt 21 may be trained over rolls 22 and 23?, the latter of which may be driven or the beit 21 may be driven by the moving forming wire 11. On the other hand, and as will be Vbrought out in detail hereinafter, the rolls 22 and 23 are not at all 3 times required, and as well, more than a single suction box 14 can be utilized.

The present invention is directed to the suction box 14 featuring an easily formed and readily replaceable passaged top or cover removably secured to conduit means xedly attached to the wall structure of the box. The cover or top is threadably connected to the conduit means by passaged screw means, and the conduit means are further effective to r-igidify the cover. Suitable header means are located at the oncoming and off-coming sides of the suction box 14, and the header means supply fluid to the conduit means for lubrication of the under side of the belt 21 during travel over the suction box top. The structural details of lthe traveling belt 21 shown in the drawings form no part of the instant invention, and only such details thereof are illustrated as are required for an understanding of the present invention. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that other moving belts may be substituted in lieu of the structure shown, and other changes made to various portions of the paper machine 10. However, the moving belt 21 illustrated in some detail in FIGURE 3 has particular advantages over the earlier arrangements.

The suction box 114 as constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention comprises a generally rectangular trough-like body portion 30 having opposed side walls 31 and 32 integrally connected to a bottom wall 34, and removable end walls 33, one only of which is shown. The open top of the suction box body portion '30 mounts thereon a cover member 35, the features of which will be later specifically described.

To provide an effective seal between the end walls 33 and the body portion 30 of the suction box 14, and to provide a convenient. mounting of the end walls to the body portion, the side walls 31 and 32 and bottom wall 34 may mount thereon flange means 36 having bolt receiving openings 36a therein. Gasket means (not shown) are located between the flange means 36 and opposed end walls 33, and the end walls are equipped with mating openings `for receiving bolt means threaded into the openings 36a,

To rigidity the suction box 14 and to provide a supplemental mode of attachment of the cover 35 thereto, each end wall 33 adjacent the upper end thereof has welded or otherwise secured thereto longitudinally extending beam members 37 of a length generally coextensive with the length of the end Walls. Cooperating with the beam members 37 to conveniently support the cover 35 is a second pair of beam members 38, each having longitudinally spaced openings 38a therein threadably receiving screw means '39. The screw means 39 may be of the same character employed to attach the cover member 35 to conduit means in a manner to be later hereinafter described. In any event, it may be seen that the plate member '35 has a plurality of mating coun-tersunk openings 40 therein so that the head of the `screw means 39 is recessed in the cover member 35. As well, and as is shown in FIGURE 2, opposed side walls 31 and 32 of the suction box body portion 30 are recessed at the upper ends thereof to provide ledge means 31a and 32a to seat opposite sides of the cover member 35.

Further details of the cover member 35 appear in FIGURE 4, and upon reference thereto in conjunction with FIGURE 3 it may be observed that the at plate-like cover member '35 is equipped with a plurality of transversely spaced rows of drainage openings or perforations 42 running and spaced longitudinally in the direction of wire travel indicated by the arrow 43. The perforations 42 open into the interior of the suction box 14, and conveniently the opposed end walls 33 of the box may be passaged at 33a to receive branch conduits 64a and 64b connected as is shown diagrammatically to a main conduit 65 leading to exhaust means in the form of a pump 44.

As is shown in FIGURE 4, the suction box top or cover 35 has land areas 45 intermediate the perforations 42 and providing a lubricant receiving surface whereby the traveling belt 21 is carried by a fluid film during travel along the suction box cover. The land areas 45 between the rows of perforations 42 are apertured as at 46 in countersunk configuration to receive therein passaged attaching means 47 threadably connecting the cover member 35 to roof portion 50a of conduit means 50, the further features -of which will be later noted. The passages or perforations 46 extend from near the olf-running edge of the suction box cover '35 to near the oncoming edge, and in common with the land areas 45 and perforations 42, extend longitudinally in the direction of wire travel.

Various forms of header structures for supplying water or other suitable lubricant to the passaged attaching means 47 will he shortly described, however, it should be emphasized at the present moment that `water ows upwardly in and outwardly from axial passages 47a (FIGURE 9) in the attaching means 47 in generally the maner indicated by the arrows 4S in FIGURE 4. The Water Hows in the directions indicated along ythe land areas 45 and ultimately to the drain perforations 42. The ow as illustrated in FIGURE 4 is very slight and is controlled by the pressure of the belt 21 against the land areas 45, however, the flow is suficient to lubricate the rubber belt 21 and to prevent dragging Ithereof over the dry land areas 45. The belt is thereby supported during its travel along `the suction box top 35 by a water film.

The belt 21 is provided with perforations or drainage holes 21a, as indicated in FIGURES 3 and 9, and said holes are so located in the traveling belt that they do not align themselves with the passages 47a in the attaching screw means 47 communicating with the conduit means 59. In this way, water is not forced back up through the drainage holes 21a. Instead, the drainage holes 21a periodically align themselves with the perforations 42 in the suction box cover 35. The bottom side of the belt 21 has, of course, a number of openings therein formed by the drainage holes 21a. Intermediate said drainage holes there are land areas 2lb on the bottom side of the belt which cover the passages 47a in the screw means 47. These belt land areas 2lb are urged downwardly against the suction box land areas 45 by the pressure differential created by the suction box 14. For this reason, water is urged into the passages 47a under slight pressure to effect continuous seepage of water between the faces of the land areas 2lb and 45, this seepage being necessary to prevent the rubber belt 21 from wiping the land areas 45 dry, and thereby increasing the frictional drag. Preferably, the seepage of water is very slight so as not to overload the water removal system for the suction box 14.

The top side of the belt 21 is preferably provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced laterally extending grooves or channels 21C, one of which is shown in FIG- URE 3. Each such groove Zic is provided with one o1' more of the drainage holes 21a, which as earlier noted periodically communicate with the perforations 42 in the suction box cover 35. As was also earlier noted, the specific described structure of the moving belt 21 is illustrative only, and other arrangements may be employed in connection with the instant suction box 14.

As also appears in FIGURE 3, the suction box cover 35 adjacent opposite ends thereof may mount belt guide means 49, which may take the form of an angle member secured to the cover 35 by screw means 49a. The guide means 49 may be spaced along the length of the suction box cover 35 or run continuously therealong, but in any event, the guide means 49 are effective to maintain the moving belt 21 in a straight line path during travel along the suction box top 35.

As appears in FIGURE 9, each of the hollow or passaged attachment means 47 is provided with a head portion 47b seated in a relatively shallow and larger diameter portion 46a of the countersunk openings 46 in the plate member 35, each attachment member 47 further being shaped with a reduced diameter stem portion 47C threadably engageable with the roof portion Sila of each conduit means 50. As was stated, the passaged screw means 47 provide an effective attachment of the suction box corver 35 to the conduit means Sti, and as well, are in fluid communication with the conduit means Sti to provide Huid flow paths from the interior of the conduit means to the unde-r side of the -belt 2l. The conduit members 5G may be rigidly attached to the suction box wall structure in various ways, and one mode of securement is illustrated in FIGURE 5. As appears therein, channel portion 50h of each conduit member 5t) vmay be seated upon transversely extending shelf members 6I welded or otherwise secured to opposed sidewalls 3l and 32 of the suction box I4. Further, at opposite ends of each conduit member and interiorly thereof there may be welded or otherwise attached an apertured bushing 56. Threadably received in the rigid bushing 56 is passaged bolt means 57 having an opening 57a extending therethrough. Each bolt member 57 is threaded into the side walls 31 and 32 of the body portion 343 of the suction box, as well as into the bushing S6. In this manner, the conduits 5@ are firmly attached to the opposed side walls 3l and 32, provide support for the suction box cover 3S, -rigidify the cover, and as will now be seen, provide an effective fluid supply means for the passaged threaded fasteners 47 connecting the cover 35 to the conduit members 59. As is now apparent, the passaged screw means 57 may take the same form as the screw means 39 and 47.

One form of header structure for supplying fluid through the passaged bolt means 57 to the interior of the conduit members 5d is also shown in FlGURE 5. Header means S2 as is shown therein may comprise a generally triangularly shaped box member welded or bolted to opposed side walls 3i and 32 of the suction box. Each header member 52 may be provided with a smoothly curved roof portion 52a to guide the rubber belt 21 during travel onto and away from the suction box cover 35. Each header member 52 may be passaged at 52h to receive conduit means 53 diagrammatically illustrated and connected to a source of liquid under pressure controllable by pump means or the like 54.

A further form of header structure and means for attachment `of the channel members 50 to the suction box wall structure appears in FiGURE 6, to which reference is now made. Each conduit member 5d is attached at opposite ends to the side walls 31 and 32 by welding techniques, the welds being located along the top and bottom walls and side walls of the conduit members and indicated generally in FlGURE 6 by the numeral 55. The opposed side walls 3l and 32 of the suction box may also be seen from FIGURE 6 to be passaged as at 555 to receive therein a relatively slender tube 5@ connected to a relatively larger diameter header conduit 6d. The header 60 is shown diagrammatically as connected by conduit means 6I to pump means or the like 62, and it may now be seen that under action of the pump means 62 Water or other uid is owed from the header means 60 through the tube means 59 and passages 5S to each of the conduit members Si); As in the other forms of the invention, the fluid then llows upwardly through and outwardly from the passaged fastener means i7 to lubricate the belt under side.

In the arrangement of FIGURE 6 it may also be observed that the suction box cover performs the additional function of guiding the traveling belt 2l onto the oncoming side and away from the off-running side of the suction box. For this purpose, the cover and guide structure are integral, and in FIGURE 6 the cover member is designated by the numeral 63 and the guide portion by the numeral 63a. In other respects, the structure of FIGURE 6 incorporates the features earlier described in connection with FIGURES 2 to 4, although it may be observed that in the arrangement of FGURE 6 the rolls 22 and 23 around which are trained the rubber belt ZI are eliminated. In such an arrangement, the rubber belt 2l is driven by the traveling forming wire 1I.

A further arrangement in which the rolls 22 and 23 are eliminated is illustrated in FIGURE 7. As appears therein, the suction box cover .35 is attached by hollow screw means i7 to the conduit members 50, and the guide means may take the form of smoothly curved plate portions 67 welded as at 63 to the plate member 35.

The header structure in the arrangement of FIGURE 7 is provided interiorly of the suction box, and for this purpose a wall member 69 may be welded to the ange means 36 (FIGURE 2) or otherwise located in fixed relation within the suction box extending between opposed end walls 33 and inwardly spaced from opposed side walls 3l and 32 of the suction box. There is accordingly defined by opposed side walls 31 and 32 of the suction box and the wall or partition members 69 liuid supply chambers 79 extending across the suction box and communicating with the interior of the conduit members 5d through openings 7l in the bottom wall of each conduit channel portion adjacent opposite ends thereof. The duid supply chamber 70 is connected by conduit means '72 (indicated diagrammatically) to pump means or the like 73. In this manner, under action of the pump means 713i, water or other fluid is flowed through the manifold or header chamber 70 and into the interior of the conduit members 56- by the passages 71 therein` The water then flows upwardly through and outwardly from the passaged fasteners 47, in the manner earlier described in connection with the preceding views of the drawings. As also appears in FIGURE 7, the conduit members 50 can be attached to the partition Walls 69 by Weld means 55a.

In FIGURE 8 a further arrangement is shown, and in this embodiment the conduit members 50 are attached in the manner of FIGURE 6 to opposed side walls 31 and 32 of the suction box. As well, the plate member and guide means are integral, and the numeral 7S has been applied to the cover member and the numeral a to the guide portion thereof.

Attached to the under side of the guide portion 75a is a generally box-like header member 76 which is passaged at 76a to connect with conduit means 77 leading to pump means or the like 78. The guide portion 75a provides the roof or top wall on the header member 76, and water or other fluid is supplied to the conduit members 5t) and passaged fasteners 47 in the manner earlier described.

It may now be seen from the foregoing that applicant has provided a suction box construction having numerous advantages over the prior art structures. Welding of the cover or top to the suction box is herein eliminated, and by means of the passaged fasteners `47 rapid attachment and removal of the cover is provided. The attachment means 47 are further highly effective as fluid supply passages, and by provision of the countersunk openings 46 in the cover 35 punch or related techniques may be utilized, in contrast with the more time-consuming machining procedure used to provide the prior art grooving arrangements. The conduit members St) not only provide fluid communication to the passaged fasteners 47, but as well, effectively rigidity the suction box body portion 3@ and also the readily removable cover seated thereon. Various forms of cover and header str-uctures have been disclosed herein, and the drawings further illustrate web dewatering apparatus both with and without the belt rolls 22 and 23. It is accordingly believed quite apparent that numerous modiiications may be effected in the structures disclosed Without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a paper machine which includes a suction box, a traveling Wire and an endless perforated belt movable over said box; the improvement which comprises a cover for said box having fluid removal openings therein located for alignment with the perforations in the belt during travel of the belt thereover and being provided with fluid supply openings of generally countersunk conguration, means on the under side of the cover defining a plurality of conduits for supplying fluid to the under side of the belt, passaged fastening means received in the countersunk openings and connecting the cover to the conduit means and providing fluid flow paths from the conduits to the under side of the cover to lubricate the belt during travel thereover, andrmeans for supplying uid to the conduits.

2. An improved suction box structure for dewatering a web on a traveling wire, comprising a suction box having a generally flat top with drain perforations therein and land areas intermediate the perforations, an endless flexible perforate belt covering the suction box top and adapted to support and engage the bottom side of the wire, means on the under side of the top defining a plurality of longitudinally extending conduits for supplying liquid, hollow screw means attaching the cover to the conduit means and providing fluid iiow paths from the conduit means to the under side of the belt to lubricate the belt during travel over the cover land areas, and means connected to a source of liquid under pressure communicating with the conduits for flowing a liquid film in opposite transverse directions from the hollow screw means across the land areas, to the drain perforations to lubricate the bottom side of the belt.

3. An improved suction box structure for dewatering a web on a traveling Wire, comprising a suction box having a generally flat top with drain perforations therein and land areas intermediate the perforations, and endless flexible perforate belt covering the suction box top and adapted to support and engage the bottom side of the wire, means defining a plurality of openings of generally countersunk configuration in the land areas extending longitudinally in the direction of wire travel, means on the under side of the top -deiining a plurality of longitudinally extending conduits underlying the openings in the top and iixedly attached to the suction box, passaged attaching means removably securing the top to the conduit means and directing fluid along the land areas to lubricate the under side ofthe belt, and means connected to a source of liquid under pressure communicating with the conduits for flowing a liquid film in opposite transverse directions from the passaged attaching means across the land areas to the drain perforations to lubricate the bottom side of the belt.

4. An improved suction box structure for dewatering a web on a traveling wire, comprising a suction box having a generally fiat top with drain perforations therein and land areas intermediate the perforations, an endless iiexible perforate belt covering the suction box top and adapted to support and engage the bottom side of the wire, means defining screw receiving openings in the land areas extending longitudinally in the direction of wire travel, a plurality of transversely spaced and longitudinally extending conduits located on the under side of the top and underlying the screw receiving openings in the top, passaged screw means received in said openings and threadably connecting the suction box top to the conduit means, and means connected to a source of liquid under pressure communicating with the conduits for owing a liquid film in opposite transverse directions from the passaged screw means across the land areas to the drain perforations to lubricate the bottom side of the belt.

5. An improved suction box structure for dewatering a web on a traveling wire, comprising a suction box having a generally flat top with drain perforations therein and land areas intermediate the perforations, an endless exible perforate belt covering the suction box top and adapted to support and engage the bottom side of the wire, means defining screw receiving openings in the land areas extending longitudinally in the direction of wire travel, means defining essentially fluid-tight headers forming the loop of the endless belt and extending essentially entirely across the width thereof in rm attachment with the suction box, means on the under side of the top defining a plurality of longitudinally extending conduits, hollow screw means received in said openings and threadably connecting the suction box top to the conduit means and providing fluid ow paths to the under side of the belt, means defining passages in the suction box communicating the headers with the conduits, and means connected to a source of liquid under pressure communicating with the conduits for flowing a liquid film in opposite transverse directions from the hollow screw means across the land areas to the drain perforations to lubricate the bottom side of the belt.

6. In a paper machine which includes a suction box having a cover with fluid supply passages therein, a traveling wire and an endless perforated belt movable over the iiuid passages in the box top; the improvement which comprises means defining essentially uid-tight headers extending substantially entirely across the width of the suction box, conduit means extending longitudinally along the under side of the suction box top, passaged fastening means removably securing the suction box top to the conduit means and received in the fluid supply passages in said top, and means for supplying fluid to the headers for introduction into the conduit means and for directing said fluid through the passaged fastening means to provide a lubricating film between the endless belt and the suction box top.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,981,328 Justus Apr. 25, 1961 2,981,329 Justus Apr. 25, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 495,535 Great Britain Nov. 15, 1938 

